A State Tax Windfall

To the Editor:

The state should be fair when it comes to charging sales taxes on home oil delivery.

Many people locked in their rates back in August when prices were around $4.20 to $4.50 a gallon, but now you can buy home heating oil for $2.10 to $2.30 a gallon. The sales taxes collected is at the rate you pay for the oil when delivered so if I buy 200 gallons at $2.10 the tax I pay is $25.20, but someone who locked in at $4.50 would pay $54 in tax.

The state should set a flat rate per gallon rather than penalizing people for locking in at a higher rate, better yet during these hard economic times the sales tax on home heating oil should be suspended all together!

Gary P. Frey

10 Great Ring Road, Sandy Hook                              January 9, 2009